The Betrayal of Light.
Author's note: This idea was nagging at me, so, I decided to finally write it. It begins in the near ending of both Terra and Ventus stories, but with a new twist. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or Final Fantasy.
Chapter one: The Fallen of the enemy and a friend.
He couldn't believe this had happened. Ventus didn't want to believe it. HE was the chosen of a monsterious weapon that Xehanorted wanted to use for death and destruction? Why didn't Eraqus tell Ven this? If he had been told the moment he learned how to use the Keyblade, Ventus would've denined in doing what Xehanort wanted easily and just continued with his life with his best friends-Terra and Aqua, and then maybe Eraqus would've allowed him to see other worlds and put a stop into Xehanort's plans a lot sooner.
But as Xehanort just said-Eraqus never trusted him. He was afraid of Ventus, even though the boy was more afraid of him and had trained and did as ordered, and had even asked like every well behaved person would. Now on top of everything else, it seemed that Eraqus, who was too used in seeing the Light as the only life source, obviously didn't want to trust Terra either due to the latter's darkness, and had only made Aqua master, because she had no darkness-no tragic past-and was pretty much trusted, despite her love towards Ven and Terra.
Aqua loved them. Ven knew that. She loved them so much, she would do anything to keep them safe. She had once told Ven that Eraqus only sent her out to keep an eye on Terra was because he was worried.
But what if Eraqus lied to her too? Was he using her for his own reasons so that she could end up just like him?
Even though Ven still didn't have his full memories back, he didn't like Xehanort one single bit. He knew, from the first time he'd seen the old Keyblade Master again during Terra and Aqua's Mark of Mastery Exam, that there was something wrong with him.
But Ven had to know the truth, so that he can at least somehow find a way to stop Xehanort's plans, or he'll die trying. First things first; Get answers out of Eraqus, and if he can, he'll find Terra and try and save him, then find Aqua and protect her too. Ven had these plans installed his mind, and he wanted to keep them.
As he walked up on the platform that was supposedly his home, Ven gazed at the castle, pausing and asking mentally to himself if this was such a good idea. As much as he hated the thought of this wonderful place he grew to love actually being a prison to him, only allowing him to wander around outside the castle and not any further, Ven knew that he had to make the difficult choice.
It's either risk in getting answers, or continue to be a prisoner for the rest of his life, until Xehanort either dies of old age, or Ven himself dies in old age years later to sastify Eraqus.
Speaking of the latter, the said man came outside and noticed that the boy had returned.
"Ventus, you're alone? I though Aqua would-" Eraqus cuts himself off, relieved that Ven had returned. He approached the boy, placing his hands on Ven's shoulders, saying, "Well, what matters is that you're home. You don't belong outside this
world yet. You need to stay here where you can learn-"
"In your prison?" Ven blurted out, his anger slowly emerging since he finally caught the lies in Eraqus' tone.
"What?" asked Eraqus, now shocked in what the boy just said as he released him.
Ven glared at him, accussingly asking, "That's your excuse...for keeping me imprisoned here, isn't it?" as for as long as he could remember, he was innocent, born with destructive power that he didn't want to have or to use. At this point, he might as well wish to just be a normal human.
Now supicious and fearing that his greatest fears are coming true, Eraqus asked in a firm tone, "What did you hear?"
"That I'm supposed to be some weapon... Some kind of... "X-blade"!" Ven answered, angry at both Xehanort for using him as a 'weapon' and Eraqus who imprisioned him all because of fear.
Despite the boy's innocence, and that Eraqus had to admit that he hated the idea of Ventus having destructive power inside him while the boy had no such intentions to cause destruction as his heart was full of light, the old man knew that the boy, innocent and light-hearted, was too dangerous, just as dangerous was Xehanort.
"I knew it." Eraqus grunted as he placed a hand onto his cheek where a deep scar was implanted on him was. "Xehanort-he could never let it go." as he recalled on Xehanort's curosity to bring about another Keyblade War and end everything and how the older man wanted to know the truth behind it. Which was why he had brought Ventus in because he boy had so much light and held the power of the X-Blade itself.
Now the plan was already put into motion. But not if Eraqus had anything to do with that. It would break Terra's and Aqua's hearts, but there was no other choice. If anything, he would have to even erase their memories of Ventus, and if Terra was also succcumed to darkness, Aqua would have to live on her own-no friends, and no memories of her friends. Perhapes it was better if he only trained Aqua, then none of this would've happened.
"I failed. I had the chance to stop him and couldn't do it. But I will not fail again." Eraqus says to himself, and even though he didn't want to do it, he had no choice. A Keyblade Master must never have friends, or else the worlds are in serious danger like now. He then realised the real mistake; Friendship is darkness, not light.
With this in mind, he summoned his Master-Keeper-Keyblade, and took position, much to Ven's shocked-horror.
"Master! What are you..." Ven trailled off, as he realised in sheer horror that Eraqus doesn't trust him at all, and even the light in his heart isn't enough to convince him.
"The X-blade has no place in this or any world." Eraqus says, "Xehanort has made his purpose clear...and I am left with no choice." he paused, then sighed, "Forgive me...but you must exist no more!" as his Keyblade forms an energy of light and chains of light burst out and he fired it at Ven who's body refused to move and he shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for his bitter end.
It never came.
"Ven!"
Ven opened his eyes, and to his shock, not only he fell to his knees, but Terra, in his Keyblade-armor, was standing in front of him, having blocked Ven's attack, much to his and Eraqus' shock. Terra had saved his life and risked the worlds.
"What?" Eraqus gasped.
"Master, have you gone mad?" Terra demanded as his armor fades back into his Keyblade.
Instead of answering, Eraqus ordered, "Terra! I command you-step aside!" as he didn't want Terra, the young man whom Eraqus had grown to love like a father would, to suffer the same thing everyone else has.
"No!" Terra shouted, as Ven, now feeling guilty for what has happened, could only stare.
"You will not heed your Master?" asked Eraqus.
"I won't!" Terra said boldly.
Now realising with a broken-heart that Aqua was truly the only one whom Eraqus could ever trusted and believing that even love leads to darkness, the older man says, "Why do all my attempts to reach you fail? If you don't have it in your heart to obey...then you will have to share Ventus's fate." as a single tear falls.
He then raced forward and attacked, but Terra blocked again, and the two clashed keyblades at each other, while Ven flinched, before looking up, and now realising that it's because he even existed that everyone was in danger, and even though he didn't want to die, he knew he had no choice. If he wanted to save his friends, he had to die, not only for their safeties, but also for the sake of the Realm of Light.
"Enough, Terra! He's right..." Ven shouted make his friend stop.
But unfortuately, Terra, being more stubborn than anyone else he knew, demanded, "Quiet!" not willing to let any of his friends go.
Ven then realised that even Terra would risk his life to save his friends, including Ven himself, and Aqua who would do the same. The three of them, having grown as best friends, as a family, all had a lot of common; they would die for each other, no matter how heartbreaking it was.
Leaping back, Eraqus blasts an attack at the two younger men backwards who both shouted. While Terra landed on his feet, Ven landed flat on the ground, weakened. Shocked, Terra picked his friend up in one arm, before noticing that Eraqus was about to attack again.
In anger, and feeling his darkness surge inside him, and now forming around his body, Terra declared, "You may be my Master. But I will not...let you hurt my friend!"
"Has the darkness taken you Terra!?" Eraqus shouted in anger, ignoring the younger man's bravely comment. Now he knew that friendship is darkness.
Ignoring this, Terra summoned a portal behind him, and threw Ven in. When he managed to lean on his hands, Ven realised what was happening, and cried out, "Wait, Terra!" but it was too late; he was summoned away from his now former home and to somewhere else, while Terra would fight against Eraqus.
Terra and Eraqus both fought long and hard.
But in the end, in a cruel and twisted fate...Terra lost.
Now lying on the ground on his back, Terra panted, his Keyblade lying uselessly on the ground next to him, having almost all of his strength gone, and he could only just lie there, looking at the sky, tears beginning to fall. He did what he could to keep Ven safe, and now he was paying the bitter price for that.
'Aqua...Ven...I'm so sorry.' Terra thought about his friends, his family. He even thought about the times he shared with them, and even, the certain blue-haired young woman who was more than just a friend to him.
Eraqus, even though realising what he had done, knew he had no other choice. He stood over his now former apprentince with a cold gaze, saying, "Terra...forgive me." then he raised his Keyblade, and with a mighty swing, slashed against Terra's chest, causing the latter to scream in agony.
The scream faded, as Terra began to fade away, his consciousness fading as well, and his final thoughts were, 'Ven...take care of Aqua...Aqua...I wish...I wish I could've...told you sooner...' as he finally disappeared into a mixture of light and darkness, Terra's very last thoughts where these.
'...I love you.'
Eraqus watched Terra fade away into nothing, and had tears falling himself. He wished this was all a nightmare, wishing that none of this would've happened. But fates are cruel and this was the fate he had to face for all eternity.
"How dare you!?" a familiar voice exclaimed behind him. Eraqus turned around in anger, and to his annoyance, was an enraged Xehanort who had summoned his Keyblade in attempts to finish off Eraqus for ruining his plans to use Terra as a vessel. Now Terra was dead.
"You killed your own pupil for the sake of the light!?" Xehanort demanded in sheer anger.
Eraqus glared at him, announcing, "Only because I had no choice! He risked his own freedom to save Ventus, whom I would've destroyed. I realise now that even friendship is darkness, and that light isn't strong enough unless one had no friends, no family, and no love."
Xehanort quirked an eyebrow at this. Even he knew that love and friendship lead to light, not the opposite. Had Terra's sacrifice to save his friend in anger really made Eraqus even more light-crazy now? He would think that believing that would make Eraqus consume the darkness, but with such powerful light, even the old master knew that something was wrong.
"With this much anger in you, I would've thought that you had darkness inside you." Xehanort decided to comment, "But seeing such strong light makes me believe that something isn't right with you."
"And you're perfectly sane?" Eraqus mocked.
Now Xehanort knew that Eraqus was driven just as insane as himself, only with the safety of the worlds and not the X-Blade. There was only one thing to do.
"Then you leave me no other choice." Xehanort declared.
"Then you're mistaking yourself, old friend." Eraqus replied, summoning such powerful light inside him, and with a powerful swing of his keyblade, slashed at Xehanort, who, for the first time in four years, was caught off-guard, and he froze in sheer shock and horror, as the aim was at his chest.
Dropping his now banished keyblade, Xehanort fell backwards only for him to disappear, his heart also vanishing from existance.
Xehanort was no more.
To Eraqus, this meant that the only thing to do was to kill Ventus, erase Aqua's memories, and destroy any love and friendship in the worlds so that they would be safe and the light would continue on forever, and he would kill anyone standing in his way.
Then he'll be at peace.
Cliff-hanger! The story will only get more emotional and tensed. Look out for more chapters, review and make sure to grab a box of tissues.